Alienation of Affections

Definition - What does Alienation of Affections mean?

Alienation of affections is when two people, typically a husband and wife, are in a relationship, and that relationship is intentionally disrupted by another person. This could involve cheating, sabotage, or other forms of interference. In any case, the affections between two people are being threatened or tampered with by another person.

Justipedia explains Alienation of Affections

Alienation of affections used to be considered a just cause for a lawsuit. However, this is no longer so in most areas. The term still refers to a direct thwarting of the affections that exist between two people. Adultery is commonly associated with this term. An example of someone who may have complained of alienation of affection in the past would be a woman who worked at an office and discovered that one of her coworkers was sleeping with her husband. Not only would she experience marital struggles because of this, but it would have most likely resulted in difficulty or embarrassment in the workplace, which is also associated with alienation of affections.